Some commercial people think of medical affairs as the department that says no.
I think of them as the reason doctors believe anything our teams say.
The line between medical and sales is not bureaucracy. It protects the doctor, the patient, the company and the rep standing in the clinic.
How I keep it clear in my teams:
- Separate roles. Sales promotes within the approved label. Medical answers the science.
- Questions go to medical. If a doctor asks about an off-label use, the rep refers it. Never a clever answer on the spot.
- No targets for medical. Medical colleagues are never sent in to help close a sale.
- Side effects reported. Anyone who hears of one reports it promptly, sales included.
- Approved materials only. Nothing reaches the field before it has been reviewed and approved.
- Plan as partners. We share what customers need and plan the year together, with the roles kept clear.
The hardest part is not the rules. It is the quiet pressure at the end of a slow quarter to ask medical to "have a word" with a doctor who is not prescribing.
That is exactly when the line matters most.
“The line with medical is not a wall. It is why doctors trust your team.”
Lesson 2 of 3 in Step 6: Working across functions, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.